Back Story: Archie Blakey was almost 12 when his mother Rachel passed in March of 1916. He was 13 when his father Isaac passed two days before Christmas Day in 1917. Archie’s brother Deacon Ollie “Deke” Blakey became his guardian.
According to the 1920 South Dakota census taken on January 13 and 14, 1920 , Ollie and his wife Margaret and Archie, a teenager were living in Yankton, South Dakota. Other Blakey family members moved there in 1905 and others followed afterward. Then sometime during 1920 or so, Arichie moved. He ended up in California.
On the 1927, Sacramento, California City directory; Archie Blakey was listed as working for the city garbage department ( He was a garbage man). Also in other directories / California voters’ listed him as a porter and a laborer. He was affiliated with the republican party.
Some of Archie’s family mermber came to California and later to Sacramento.
Lawhorn “Doc” Blakey, his brother moved there around 1928.
Ollie “Deke” Blakey and Margaret (Cason) Blakey moved there around 1932.
Archie’s sister Edna Mae (Blakey) Jackson Bentley with her husband Richard Bentley and her sons Edward “Clem” Jackson Jr. and Emerson Thomas Jackson in 1936. They moved about three months after Edna’s son Archie Jackson / Bentley passed in Yanton at the age of 15 .
An Unexpected Accident of Archie T. Blakey:
One day Archie was working on anautomobile and ended up in the Sacramento hospital for “treatment of burns he said were received when a can of gasoline caught fire as he cleaned some spark plugs.” ~ The news clip was published in The Sacramento Union Sacramento, California on Sunday, June 20, 1943 on page 9.
Another news clip stated that Archie “was sent to the Sacramento Hospital for the treatment of severe burns on both legs suffered while he was cleaning spark plugs with gasoline” This information was published in The Sacramento Bee Sacramento, California on Tuesday, June 22, 1943 on page 4.
Then five months later, another news cilp was published in The Sacramento Union Sacramento, California on Tuesday, November 30, 1943 on page 10. It was the news of Archie’s passing. and funeral notice. He was an employee of the city waste removal department in Sacramento.
I didn’t expect to discover this sad news. This was horrible tradgey.
Archie passed way to soon.
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Archie T. Blakey (1904 – 1943)
On Archie’s obituary (and news clips), there was no memtion if he was married nor if he had children. His survivors were his siblings: Ollie Blakey, Lawhorn Blakey, Mrs. Edna Bentley all of Sacramento, Isaac Blakey, Henry Blakey, Spencer Blakey and Mrs Mary Green all of South Dakota and, Jordan Blakey of Michigan.
The 1943 obituray mentioned that Archie lived in Sacramento for 24 years. So, he came to California about 1919 or 1920. He was a teenager.
According to California City Directories / Censuses:. Archie Blakey was married to Flora in 1927 and the 1930 ; Census states that the year 1926. Then on the 1933 city directory, Archie was married to Geniva and then to Velma according to the 1940 Calfornia census.
Archie was a brother, a brother in law, an uncle, a cousin, a friend and an ex- husband. I believe that he had a son named Archie Thomas Blakey Jr and a daughter named Flora Stella Blakey by Flora. And Archie was the stepfather to Flora’s other children, Laura Blakey, Clarence Ollie Blakey, and Verna Blakey. Archie was a stepfather to Velma’s son Robert Ellis.
Archie was the youngest child of the former enslaved Isaac Blakey and Rachel (Lephridge / Jackson) Blakey. He was born on Friday, May 13, 1904 in Shannondale, Chariton County Missouri He was one of 18 children of Rachel.~ Archie passed on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 25, 1943 at the age of 39. God rest his soul.
One of Archie’sgreat nieces shared with me that Archie loved going to the rodeos.
Archie was the brother of my Grandfather John Blakey Blakley.
Their father was Civil War veteran Private Isaac Blakey (1845 – 1917)
Thank you for reading.
The Unexpected: Accident Of Mr. Archie T. Blakey
Rest In Peace, Great Uncle Archie
God bless you.
S.A. Blakley
May 23, 2026
